Slicing machine



Sept. 25, 1934. N. Jrnzlzozlc ET AL 7 1,974,603

SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1951 I. I, 12 15 a J6 8 I fweiZlam: Mac/60% JflZZQdZZO, Harry E 1&7 "flee,

PATENT OFFICE 1,974,603 smomc MACHINE Nickolas J. Dziedzic and Harry B. McKee, Chicage, IllL, assignors to Industrial Patents Cor- -po'rati0n,'Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela- Application SepteinbeflE, 1931, Serial No. 562,975

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to slicing machines and more particularly to novel meansfor detachably securinga knife blade in operative position. t -t The slicing machineto which the invention particularly relates is a bacon slicing machine although it will be -understood that such machine, and the invention of this application, may be used for the slicing of products other than bacon for example such as chilled livers, pork loins, and the like. As a matter of fact, in actual practice the present invention is being successfully used in connection with a continuous feed conveyor type of bacon slicing machine.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide novel means in a novel slicing machine for detachably connecting a knife blade in operative position to provide for the quick and easy removal or replacement thereof.

The invention contemplates the idea of providing novel means for detachablyisecuring a knife bladein a slicing machine to a knife supporting element adapted to have reciprocating movement.

More particularly, this knife supporting element is adapted to have reciprocating movementin the plane of. movement of a reciprocating cross head for operation of the knife or cutting mechanism of the slicing machine. v a V Another object within the purview of the present invention is to provide novel means for detachably securing a knife blade of a slicing machine to a knife supporting element, such means including a projecting element provided-on the knife blade which is adapted to have interlocking engagementfwith' the knife supporting element and a removable or detachable securing member. Further, the projecting portion provided on the knife blade is preferably formed with inclined or wedge surfaces adapted to have cooperative relationwith complementary or similar inclined or vwedge surfaces provided: on the knifesupporting element and a securing element of thisknife blade into-engagementwith a portion of the knifesupporting element, the same being; adapted to be loosened for release of the knife blade when it is desired to remove or replace the same. a

(Cl. Hit-138) Other objects, features, capabilities and advantages are comprehended by the invention, as will later appear and as are inherently possessed thereby.

Referring to the drawing- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a knife mechanism of a slicing machine incorporating an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the slicing mechanism disclosed in Figure 1 of the draw- Figure 3 is a View in cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Figure 2 of thevdrawing, and

Figure 4 is a detached view of a securing member made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an embodiment selected to illustrate the presentinvention is disclosed in connection with a slicing machine provided with the supportingframe members 2 and 4 having the upright or vertical shafts 6 and 8 associated therewith and cooperatconnecting rod 15 extending between the crank or other mechanism and cross-head 12 and being journaled or otherwise'pivotally connected to the hub 13 of the cross-head. The cross-head 12 is provided with a rearwardly disposed recess or groove 18 provided with the overhanging side walls 20' and 22 and which is adapted to receive a projecting tongue part or portion 24 of a knife supporting element 26, the tongue part 24 being provided, with outwardly flaring edge portions adapted to cooperate with theside walls 20 and 22 of therecess 18 to providea dove-tailed construction for locking the knife supporting element 26 in' position and permitting movementthereof rel ative to the cross-headl2. Movement of the knife supporting element 26 is effected by means of a projecting element or plate 28 disposed in an angular position on the back face of the supporting element and which is adapted to be guided between rollers 30 and 32" connected; to the frame member 2. A t H Adjustment for wear between the tongueg 56 of the knife securing means 58.

ting plane.

of the knife supporting element 26 and the recess 18 of the cross-head 12 is accomplished by means of gibs 34 and 36 adjustably positioned by means of a plurality of threaded pins or bolts 38, each of which is locked in position by means of the nut 40.

It will be clearly apparent that the knife supporting element 26 will have reciprocating movement relative to the cross-head 12 which likewise has reciprocating movement in a plane at 90 degrees thereto.

The knife supporting element 26 is'provided with an overhanging or projecting portion 42 provided with an inclined or wedge surface 44 adapted to have cooperative relation with an inclined or wedge surface 45 provided on one side of a projecting member 46 secured, as by means of the set screws 48, to a knife or knife blade 50. This projecting portion or member 46 has its other or lower edge inclined, as at 52, which provides a wedge surface adapted to have cooperative relation with a similar inclined or wedge surface 54 provided on a projecting part or portion These securing members 58 are shown as comprising an elongated portion provided with a threaded end 60, one or more of these members being provided for securing the knife to the knife supporting element 26. These securing members 58 are adapted to be received within slots or openings 62 provided in the knife securing element 26, the threaded end of these members being adapted to project upwardly above and within recesses 64 provided in the upper surface of the knife supporting element 26, the same being engaged by the internal threaded hub 66 of the hand nuts 68.

As clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the hand nuts 68 have been rotated to draw the securing members 58 so that the projecting portions 56 are in engagement with the projecting portion 46 of the knife blade and for movement of the same into its operative engagement with the overhanging projection 42 of the knife supporting element 26 for retaining the knife blade in its operative position. When itisdesired to remove or replace this knife, the hand nuts 68 may be rotated to loosen the securing members, after which another blade may be quickly and easily placed in operative association with the knife supporting element 26.

The upright or vertical shafts 6 and 8 may be referred to as spaced longitudinally extending guideways. The cross head 12 which reciprocates upon and along the shafts 6 and 8 may be considered as a longitudinally reciprocating cross head. The rearwardly disposed recess or groove 18 which is provided with or by the overhanging walls 20 and 21 of or on the longitudinally reciprocating cross head may be considered as providing a guideway or guide member on the cross head and which guideway extends transversely and that the knife carrying member or knife supporting element '26 may be considered as a transversely reciprocating member. The knife may be considered as operating in a longitudinally and transversely extending cutting plane and that thelongitudinally extending guideways and 'the transversely extending guideway herein referred to may be'described as paralleling the cut- From what has preceded it will be manifest that as the cross head 12 is longitudinally reciprocated the cutter carrying memberwith the cutter thereupon-is transversely reciprocated because of the cooperative guiding means provided by'the projecting member 28 on the one hand-which projecting member 28 is on and carried by the knife carrying member-and the rollers 30 which are connected to and carried by a fixed portion of the frame on the one hand or in other words by a member which is relatively fixed as compared with the guideways or shafts Sand 8. Consequentlyit will be manifest that from the arrangement hereof the cutter is imdetails and features without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention- We claim:

1. In a meat slicing machine a cutter carrying member which may be vertically reciprocated, an associated knife or cutter having a vertically and transversely extending body portion with a horizontally and transversely extending cutting edge at and alongthe lower part of the body portion, and bolt securing means for holding said knife or cutter in. operative position in said cutter carrying member, said cutter carrying member having along the rear thereof a transversely and horizontally extending grooved portion which in vertical longitudinal cross section is of dove tail formation, said knife or cutter having along and extending forwardly from the front of the body portion thereof a transversely and horizontally extending projecting member which in vertical longitudinal cross section is of dove tail formation and enters the grooved portion of the cutter carrying member, said bolt securing means comprising a vertically extending bolt carried by the cutter carrying member and located in front of said knife, which bolt has a rearwardly extending hook shaped end at the lower portion thereof, which hook shaped end engages a lower portion of the horizontally and transversely extending projecting member of the cutter, said bolt also;

having at the upper end thereof a nut which is seated upon an upper portion of the cutter carrying member whereby as the nut is tightened the bolt can be relied upon to forcibly press upwardly the upper surface of the projecting member at the front of the blade into holding engagement with the under surface of that part of the grooved portion of the cutter carrying member which provides a top gib of said grooved portion.

2. A construction as defined in and by claim 1 in which a longitudinally and transversely extending overhang is provided at and along the rear face of the cutter carrying member and against which overhang the top edge of the knife body can engage and thus absorb any upward thrust imparted to the knife during a downward or forward cutting movement.

3. In a slicing machine, spaced parallel shafts providing longitudinally extending guideways, a 11x reciprocating cross head having end bearings fitting around said shafts, said cross head provided with a rearvvardly disposed transversely arranged guide groove having overhanging angularly related side walls, a cutter carrying member movside Walls to form a dovetailed construction, an

associated knife having a vertically and transversely extending body portion with a horizontal and transversely extending cutting edge at and along the lower part of the body portion, and securing means for holding said knife in operative position in said cutter carrying member, said cutter carrying member having along the rear thereof a transversely and horizontally extending grooved portion of dovetail formation in crosssection, said knife having along and extending forwardly from the front of the bodyportion thereof a transversely and horizontally extending projecting member of dovetail formation in cross section arranged in the grooved portion of the cutter carryingv member, said securing means forcibly pressing upwardly the upper surface of the projecting member at the front of the knife into holding engagement with the under-surface of that part of the grooved portion of the cutter carrying member which provides a top gib of said grooved portion, said cutter carrying member being provided with a longitudinally and transversely extending overhang disposed at and along the rear face of the cutter carrying member and engaged by the top edge of the knife and absorbing any upward thrust imparted to the knife during a downward cutting movement.

NICKOLAS J. DZIEDZIC. HARRY H. MCKEE. 

